Jack hesitated.

“Gee! you do tempt a fellow, Tom,” he finally remarked, as though coming to a conclusion.  “Nothing I’d like better than to chat with Bessie and have a few of those Salvation Army girls’ doughnuts to munch.  But I guess it would be foolish in our laying off just now.”

“You mean the notifications might arrive while we were gone?” remarked Tom, nodding his head, pleased because the other took such a sensible view of the matter.

“Yes.  We might lose a whole hour, perhaps two, by being away,” explained Jack.  “That would be too bad; it might even turn out a catastrophe, if in the end that hour would save us from being beaten in the race against time.”

“All right, then, we’ll hang around and watch for something to come from Headquarters.  The general promised me he’d have the notifications sent over without any delay just as soon as they came.”

“Let’s go over to the flying field and watch some of the boys come in,” suggested Jack, and to this the other readily assented.

Even when an airman is off-duty his special delight lies in “hanging out” at the aviation field, seeing his fellow workers go forth, watching their return, and listening to the many thrilling accounts of battles fought, as well as perils endured.

The fascination of the sport, once it has fairly gripped a man, makes him its slave; he can think of little else; and doubtless even in dreams he fancies himself performing unusual hazards and earning the applause of the multitude.

However this proved to be a very good panacea for Jack’s nervousness and they managed to put in a full hour there.  Business was unusually brisk in the way of engagements; and Tom more than once secretly regretted that circumstances beyond their control caused them to miss a “whole lot of fun.”

The enemy was up in the air in more ways than one on that day.  Desperation on account of the blowing up of the bridge caused the German plane scouts to meet the challenges offered by the exultant Yankees, and news of many an encounter kept coming in about the time the two boys thought of leaving the field and going for their dinner.

Word had also been received of several accidents to American pilots, and it looked as though the history of that eventful day would set a new high-water mark in the way of losses.

Jack even began to fear they might be ordered to go up, which would bring about a fresh delay while communication was being established with Headquarters to verify their story.  So he was really glad when Tom drew him away by suggesting that it was time they dined.

At one o’clock they were at their headquarters, killing time and waiting.  Jack’s nerves once more began showing signs of being frayed, or “ragged,” as he called it.  He jumped at the least unusual sound, and alternately looked expectant and despairing.

It was now close to two o’clock, and as yet there was no sign of relief.  Jack jumped up for the twentieth time and started to walk back and forth, while others among the airmen were gathering their belongings together, preparatory to a change of base.